# Exploding Kittens® 2 vs Payback Arcade

The clearest difference is price: Payback Arcade at Free against Exploding Kittens® 2's $4.99. Payback Arcade also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 59%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). Exploding Kittens® 2's advantage is ratings volume (4K vs 4) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Payback Arcade is free to download; Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99 up front. Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Payback Arcade asks for nothing beyond the download.

Payback Arcade holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploding Kittens® 2 has 4K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Exploding Kittens® 2's written reviews are positive against 100% of Payback Arcade's.

Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Payback Arcade weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exploding Kittens® 2 | Payback Arcade |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 446 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) | [Great Guy Games, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895016605) |

## What reviewers say

### Exploding Kittens® 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Card, #17 Top Paid · Board, #163 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Experience the chaotic fun of a popular card game with friends. This digital version features customizable avatars, animated cards, and new ways to play, including the highly requested "Nope" card. Engage in quick rounds of strategy and luck to be the last player standing.

**Highlights:** Customizable avatars, Emoji reactions, Multiple game modes, Animated cards, Online multiplayer, AI opponent

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mystic Mayhem Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea Rat Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Slice of Heaven Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Santa Claws Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sun and Spice Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Explosive Expansions Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- 👍 Charming animations and visuals
- 🤩 Engaging and fun experience
- 🎨 Customizable skins and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow animations and gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Unresponsive AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Nope card not functioning properly
- Leaderboard not updating correctly
- Inability to leave a game after losing
- Forced account creation for online play

**Requested features**

- Add a turn timer to prevent stalling
- Allow custom deck creation and configuration
- Improve online multiplayer stability and matchmaking
- Bring back the original game's sound effects and personality


### Payback Arcade

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/payback-arcade/id6762797497)

Experience a competitive card game of insults and comebacks digitally. Practice solo to master the game, then challenge others online and climb the leaderboards to prove your punchline prowess. Enjoy fast-paced card battles optimized for mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Digital card game adaptation, Solo practice mode, Online multiplayer matches, Leaderboards, Optimized for phone and iPad, Save profile and progress with Apple ID

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?

Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Payback Arcade free?

Payback Arcade is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade?

Payback Arcade is rated higher. Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Payback Arcade averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade have ads?

Neither Exploding Kittens® 2 nor Payback Arcade shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Payback Arcade?

Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Payback Arcade weekly. Most recently, Exploding Kittens® 2 was updated on November 4, 2026 and Payback Arcade on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*